[jillybean]

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2♣. game forcing, clubs or balanced
2♦, diamonds. Partner isn't balanced and won't have 5♦ unless 6♣ 5♦

First 2 rounds of bidding were straight forward, will you bid your spades again to show 7?

[hrothgar]

 jillybean, on 2021-April-29, 14:29, said:

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2♣. game forcing, clubs or balanced
2♦, diamonds. Partner isn't balanced and won't have 5♦ unless 6♣ 5♦

First 2 rounds of bidding were straight forward, will you bid your spades again to show 7?

There's an old saying that "Swans play best in the long suit"
I think that this might be the exception to the rule

The cards that I really care about are the AK of clubs, and I suspect that seeing clubs as trump will be the best way for me to figure this out.

Playing IMPS I think that I'd definitely bid 4♣

Tempted to do so at MP as well

[DavidKok]

4♣, we're probably headed for 6♣ but 7 might be on (or, if partner is somewhat broke for the auction, we may have to stop in 5).

[Cyberyeti]

Can partner be 1444 or is he guaranteeing 5+♣ ?

[mw64ahw]

I would open North's hand 4♠ (Namyats) so with a self-sustaining suit just bid 4♠.

[smerriman]

If I bid 3♠:
- partner might raise to 4♠, and then what? It could be on a singleton, so I guess we're forced to pass, when grand could easily be on.
- or partner might bid 3N, or 4♣ or 4♦.. all of which I would have regretted not bidding 4♣ the first time.

So I'll bid 4♣ now.

[jillybean]

 Cyberyeti, on 2021-April-29, 14:57, said:

Can partner be 1444 or is he guaranteeing 5+♣ ?

Partner could be 1444, with 5 clubs he should bid 3♣/2♠

[mw64ahw]

Yep thinking about it further there's a possible slam there. Are you risking a 4♣ contract by bidding it directly?. Why not cue-bid ♥. If partner takes it to 3NT then a following 4♣ bid indicates the slam try.

[nullve]

First things first:

https://www.bridgeba...m4m-over-1m-2m/

[jillybean]

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4♦ kickback ♣
4♥ 1/4
4♠ Queen ask?
5♠ Yes ♣Q + ♠K
6♣

Are we done?

[mikeh]

 Cyberyeti, on 2021-April-29, 14:57, said:

Can partner be 1444 or is he guaranteeing 5+♣ ?

Surely 1444 bids 2N over 2S

[mycroft]

What's my "1 and a useful void" response to 4♦? I don't play Kickback because there are too many sequences that are a potential misunderstanding (like 4♠ Queen ask when it might be the best-scoring spot, off two aces), so I don't know. But I'm sure there is one - there aren't *fewer* sequences available than playing regular RKC, Shirley?

[jillybean]

 mycroft, on 2021-April-29, 15:48, said:

What's my "1 and a useful void" response to 4♦? I don't play Kickback because there are too many sequences that are a potential misunderstanding (like 4♠ Queen ask when it might be the best-scoring spot, off two aces), so I don't know. But I'm sure there is one - there aren't *fewer* sequences available than playing regular RKC, Shirley?

5♥ 1/4 with useful void?

[smerriman]

 jillybean, on 2021-April-29, 16:02, said:

5♥ 1/4 with useful void?

1/3. But yes, it definitely seems worth showing the void here, so I go with that.

[Cyberyeti]

 mikeh, on 2021-April-29, 15:41, said:

Surely 1444 bids 2N over 2S

This was the question I was asking or is that the balanced option of the 2♣ only or do you just treat it as balanced at that point.

[DavidKok]

 mw64ahw, on 2021-April-29, 15:09, said:

I would open North's hand 4♠ (Namyats) so with a self-sustaining suit just bid 4♠.

Way too strong for a preempt in my opinion, partner will have no clue what to do if the opponents compete, or with a strong hand.

 mw64ahw, on 2021-April-29, 15:23, said:

Yep thinking about it further there's a possible slam there. Are you risking a 4♣ contract by bidding it directly?. Why not cue-bid ♥. If partner takes it to 3NT then a following 4♣ bid indicates the slam try.

Bidding hearts now would be ambiguous about the strain, and jumping with hearts would confirm diamonds (for me). Let partner in on the secret that there's a club fit.

 Cyberyeti, on 2021-April-29, 17:03, said:

This was the question I was asking or is that the balanced option of the 2♣ only or do you just treat it as balanced at that point.

On the 2/1 auction 1♠-2♣; 2♠ we have not identified a strain to play in. With 1=4=4=4 and some values in all suits it would be very helpful if partner rebid 2NT, suggesting 3NT as a possible contract. In some sense it's not much different from bidding 1NT over 1♠ with the same distribution.

 jillybean, on 2021-April-29, 15:33, said:

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4♦ kickback ♣
4♥ 1/4
4♠ Queen ask?
5♠ Yes ♣Q + ♠K
6♣

Are we done?

Other than the void-showing response already mentioned, it is inconvenient that your partner bids a keycard-asking tool when we are still unlimited. We don't know if their queen ask was an attempt to stop in 5 if she was missing (in which case the proper(?) 5♥ reply to the first question might have already sunk us) or an attempt for 7, but partner was discouraged by the lack of the king of hearts or diamonds. Personally I'd say there's too much uncertainty on the auction to overrule partner and raise on. They decided they knew what they were doing with 4♦, let's hope they were right.

[Winstonm]

When you run out of intelligent ways to investigate grand slam it is time to stop.

[jillybean]

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6♣ gave us top board but not the optimal contract.

[mw64ahw]

 nullve, on 2021-April-29, 15:27, said:

First things first:

https://www.bridgeba...m4m-over-1m-2m/

My approach to 1M-2♣ aims to define openers strength/shape further
2♦ Min-2♥ asks for responses as below
2♥ 4+other M Min+
2♠ 4+♦ Int+
2NT 6+M Int+ w. void/singleton
--3♣ asks for further definition
----3♦ 4+m
------3♥ Which?
--3X shows short suit
3♣ 4+♣ Int+
3♦ Str+ (semi)balanced
3♥ 5+♥ over 1♠
3M 6+M self-sufficient suit

With North's hand you have a Min hcp count, with an MLT < 5.5 so in slam territory if a fit is found.

With a self-sustaining suit and a fallback of 4♠ I bid 2NT with the advantage that the opponents will end up knowing little about partners shape

1♠-2♣
2NT - 3♣
3♦-3♥
3♠-4♣ SI/GF (given North has shown an Int+ hand) in ♣
etc. using RKC/Kickbo

Opening 4♠ gets gets me to 7♠ after South starts a Slam bidding sequence using RKC/Kickbo

[Douglas43]

 jillybean, on 2021-April-29, 22:38, said:

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6♣ gave us top board but not the optimal contract.

If 6♣ gave you a top board then it was the optimal contract.